North Cascades National Park – Environmental Education and Conservation Grant

North Cascades Institute (NCI) is a nationally regarded nonprofit environmental organization maintained in the State of Washington, and is dedicated to increasing understanding and appreciation of the natural and cultural landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. The Institute’s mission is to conserve and restore Northwest environments through education. The Institute was created for the specific purpose of providing programs of public education and involvement in conservation, natural science, history and related fields of study, in order to foster and enhance understanding and appreciation of the North Cascades bioregion.

NCI has been a valued partner of North Cascades National Park Complex (NOCA) since 1986. The two agencies have a solid track record of cooperatively developing successful, cost-effective programs that meet both park and Institute educational and budgetary goals. NCI is considered to be the lead educational partner of NOCA, providing over $2.6 million in integrated education programming during the 29-year relationship. NCI operates the residential North Cascades Environmental Learning Center, an 11.6 million dollar facility which is imbedded within NOCA as required by a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) agreement with Seattle City Light, operator of three hydroelectric dams within NOCA. The Learning Center is one of the required mitigation elements for Seattle City Light’s federal FERC license for continued operation of three hydroelectric reservoirs on the Skagit River. The NPS and the Institute are mutually interested and desire to cooperate in conducting interpretive activities, public education, and training related to the understanding, protection, and management of the natural and cultural resources of (1) the North Cascades ecosystem, (2) the national park system, (3) the State of Washington, and (4) other similar areas elsewhere. Headquarters for both NCI and NOCA are also co-located in the same building in Sedro-Woolley, Washington which facilitates collaboration the excellent working relationships between the staff of the two entities.

See attached Notice of Intent NPS-NOI-NOCA-P15AC00207 for additional details.